Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Welcomes New Vice President of Programming

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County has named Elizabeth "Liz" Wallace as vice president of programming.

"Liz's talent for delivering innovative programming, strong industry connections and commitment to making the arts accessible make her the ideal choice to drive programming at the Arsht Center," said John Richard, president and CEO of the Arsht Center. "As an integral part of the Arsht Center team for the last seven years, Liz has been instrumental in curating performances and adding what we believe is the secret sauce for our community."

Wallace and her team will be responsible for more than 300 events annually on the Center's six stages including 12 signature series and 10@10, a series of 10 commissions for the Center's 10th anniversary premiering during the 2015-2016 season. She will also identify and organize performances that will be produced or presented by the Center, which comprise 80 percent of the annual programming.

"It has been a privilege to be part of the team that has established the Center, and especially the Knight Concert Hall, as a highly desirable venue for some of the world's greatest artists," said Wallace. "I'm excited to be leading the efforts to push even harder to serve Miami's diverse audience and show the world that celebrating a decade of excellence is only the beginning."

Wallace joined the Arsht Center as Senior Director, Programming in 2008, and was promoted to Assistant Vice President in 2011. Using her extensive experience in the classical music world, she spearheaded the development of the Center's signature John S. and James L. Knight Masterworks classical music series, now in its sixth season. She is also responsible for establishing the Center's strong relationships with many of the premier artist agencies in the world to bring major performers, including Joshua Bell, Israel Philharmonic, Keith Lockhart and many more, to Miami.

In addition to her work in the music space, Wallace has helped establish the Arsht Center as a home for dance. Through her work, the Center has welcomed prominent companies including Pilobolus and Batsheva. Wallace was also instrumental in creating the multi-pronged partnership between the Arsht Center and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which now includes an annual residency; AileyCamp Miami, a free six-week summer camp for underprivileged middle school children; and the commissioning of a new piece by Robert Battle, the company's artistic director. This is Battle's first piece since becoming artistic director, and will debut as part of the Arsht Center's 10@10 series.

Wallace has also established herself as a liaison between the Arsht Center and both arts and non-arts organizations in the community. She led the Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project for the Center, where she engaged more than 30 local organizations to collectively shine a light on the importance of human rights. The three-month, county-wide collaboration culminated with a performance of the critically acclaimed ballet by the same name by Ballet Austin at the Center in 2012.

Wallace has honed her talents as a leader in the arts industry through her work at the leading performing arts institutions in the U.S. Prior to joining the Arsht Center, Wallace served as General Manager of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. She managed auditions, contracts, tours and performances by 63 tenured musicians for the ballet, opera and musical theater season, representing more than 115 performances annually. In addition, Wallace served as Senior Manager of Artistic Planning at the Kennedy Center, where she oversaw the calendar for more than 3,000 performances a year, including a special residency by the former Kirov Opera.

She managed the Kennedy Center's orchestra through the historic Sondheim Celebration, and a tour of the Washington National Opera to Japan. She also produced the Center's millennium celebration, 2,000 Voices: An American Cantata at the Lincoln Memorial, and curated the Festival of France, A New America: The 1940s and the Arts, and Country: A Celebration of America's Music.

Wallace began her career in opera and joined the Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C. as Assistant Director of Production, she created the rehearsal department, which supported the organization during a period of exceptional growth. She was also responsible for creating and implementing a multi-million dollar production budget for the opera season, as well as overseeing the annual audition and contracting process with the American Guild of Musical Artists for the Washington Opera Chorus.

Wallace is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Peter London Global Dance Company.

Photo by Justin Namon